


there's a reason

by itisjosh



Series: change won't come if we don't begin [7]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Abandonment, Adopted Children, Adopted Sibling Relationship, Adoption, Attempted Murder, Blood and Violence, Character Death, Depression, Exploration, Family, Family Bonding, Family Dynamics, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Growing Up, Half-Human, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Hybrids, Immortality, Magic, Major Illness, Moving, Murder, Past, Past Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:54:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26799148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itisjosh/pseuds/itisjosh
Summary: Phil isn't sure how adopting three children could change the fate of the universe, but it does.He isn't sure how creating seven new worlds for him to live on could change his life, but it does.He isn't sure how he can change it back. Phil isn't sure how he's supposed to fix it.
Relationships: Dave | Technoblade & Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit & Phil Watson
Series: change won't come if we don't begin [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1939360
Comments: 56
Kudos: 736





	1. there's a reason

Phil stares down at the half-human half-boar in front of him. "Well then," he breathes out, crouching down next to the child. He barely looks more than four years old. "Hey, little guy. My name's Phil. Do you have a name?" The hybrid blinks at him, eyes narrowed as he backs away from Phil. "Wait, no," Phil laughs, ducking his head. "I'm sorry. You're probably scared, huh?" He leans back against a tree, figuring that the hybrid will come to him. "It's okay. I get it. I've got food," he scavenges through his backpack, pulling out a small bag of herbs and meat. "You can have it," Phil opens the bag, setting it down in front of him. "You don't have to come with me if you don't want, but I don't know if anyone's taking care of you out here," he sighs. "I don't want you to die out here."

The hybrid reaches out, grabbing the bag with his hooved-hands. Phil isn't entirely sure how the hell he manages to have hooves _and_ fingers, but hybrids have always been weird and out of his understanding. If he studies a little more, he'll be able to understand them. He just has to find the right books. And finding books is _hard_ , especially since the Magical Academy got blown to shit a couple months back. Phil's still surprised he managed to survive that. He probably shouldn't have. "Technoblade," the hybrid mutters, voice a little too deep for a four year old child. "That's my name." 

"It's nice to meet you, Technoblade," Phil smiles. "Can I call you Techno for short?" Techno nods at him, shoveling a bit of the salad into his mouth. "How long have you been out here? Do you have anyone else with you?" Techno snorts, leaning back against a smaller stump. 

"Does it look like I've got anyone else?" He mutters, crossing his arms. "I'm..I don't know. Nine, I think. I stopped keepin' track after a bit," Techno shrugs, glancing away from Phil. "Not like it matters, anyways." Phil sighs, rummaging through his bag. 

"You _should_ come with me," he tells him, pulling out a small sphere made of light. Phil sets it in front of him, tapping the top of it. It starts to change colours, very slowly. "I'm a mage. I managed to survive the Aagical Academy's demise. It's.." he taps the ground. "A couple worlds away from here. I managed to open up a portal and I got thrown out into this forest. Desert," he pauses. "Is it a desert?" 

Techno snorts, smiling a little. His tusks poke out of his mouth, forming a bit of an underbite. Not a natural one, either. Just two tusks jutting out of the sides of his mouth. Phil isn't sure if those will grow as he gets older, or if he's mostly human. Phil wishes he knew more about hybrids. "It's a desert. Just a couple of trees out here. Used to be more, but somethin' got rid of them all, and..yeah," he shrugs again, popping a piece of chicken into his mouth. "Why're you interested in me?" Phil shrugs, watching the sphere glow.

"You caught me off guard," he admits. "I didn't think hybrids still existed," Phil explains. "And..you're a kid, you know? You're not all that old. You look like you haven't had any food in months, other than what I just gave you. I'm setting up a place soon, you can come with. When you're old enough to survive on your own, you can leave. Or you can leave whenever the fuck you want, I don't care. I'm not your dad." Techno quirks a smile, his eyes shimmering a little. They're red, Phil notes, with flecks of gold and white. 

"Okay," Techno stands up, handing Phil back the bag. "I'm good at fightin'. I can help hunt."

"You're nine years old." Phil reminds him.

Techno grins. "Give me a sword and I'll show you."

* * *

"Parry!" Phil shouts, leaning back away from Techno's sword. "Block!" He holds up his shield, bracing as his little brother's sword slams down into it, nearly shattering the damn thing. Phil quickly mutters a few words under his breath, completely fixing his shield. "Up!" Techno kicks upwards, and Phil doesn't managed to tighten his grip on his sword as quickly as he should've. His shield goes flying from Techno's kick, landing somewhere in the field by their house. He blinks, and there's a sword at his throat, glinting in the sunlight. "Fuck. Okay, yeah. You're much better than I am." 

Techno grins, cocking his head to the side, slinging his sword over his shoulder. "I'm well aware of that," he beams like the cocky little bastard he is. "Why didn't you use your magic? You're not the only one who has magic."

"For the most part," Phil shrugs, wiping the sweat off of his head. "Everyone else in the Academy died. I was the only one to make it out," he sighs, closing his eyes as he remembers the smell of burning corpses, rotting flesh. The smoke had nearly killed him, it filled his lungs so fast he barely had time to think, barely had time to summon the portal. He's not even sure how he managed it. "Magic users are normally bred, they're not all that common. Especially if no one in the family had a history of it. It's hard to be born a magic user." Techno nods, tapping his foot - hoof - against the ground. 

"Ah," he nods again, glancing towards the shield. "Huh," Phil watches as his ear perks up, head snapping the other direction. "Someone's here. Or somethin'. Not sure which."

Phil nods, quietly drawing his sword. "It's been a bit since I've seen anyone come out this far." 

"Mm," Techno agrees, his shoulders slouching for a second. "Maybe it's just some ani-"

"Wait!" Phil pauses when he sees a boy rush out, hands up. "Please, ple- please help, there's someone chasing me, and I don't-"

"Alright," he nods, smiling at the boy. "It'll be alright," he pushes past him, quietly murmuring a protection spell. A flash of blue surrounds the kid, glowing for a brief second. "Hi. My name's Phil, I'm a mage. That's-"

"Techno," Techno snorts, slamming his sword down on..oh, they're here. Techno whirls back around, stabbing through a man's chest. "My name is Techno, and I'm the fighter around here."

"That's just not true," Phil laughs, raising one of the hunters up, letting that one hang out in the sky for a bit. "I'm an excellent fighter, just not physically. I prefer magic," he hears the man's neck snap, throws him back to the ground. He grabs another hunter with an invisible force, strangling him until he stops breathing. He breathes out, feeling his magic snuff itself out. Threat's clearly gone, he decides, looking down at the bloodied bodies. "Problem solved," Phil claps his hands together, beaming at the boy. "Hi. Phil, Techno. Any reason they were hunting you?"

The boy rushes forwards, grabbing something from the ground. He stares at it, slamming it back to the ground. Phil recognises that as a.. _ah_. A compass. "Um, I- I'm Wilbur," the boy murmurs, stomping on the compass as hard as he can. "They said that they were paid, and I don't even know what I did, but I jus-"

"Hey," Phil crouches down in front of him, putting his hands on Wilbur's shoulders. "It's okay. You're fine. Do you have anyone with you? Anyone who you live with?" Wilbur shakes his head, tears forming in his eyes. Ah, fuck. Phil holds out his arms, and the boy crashes into them, sobbing into his shoulder. Techno raises an eyebrow at him, and Phil flips him off, mouthing a "shut the fuck up" in his direction. "You'll be just fine, Wilbur. We'll keep you safe. You don't have to stay here if you don't want. But it'd probably be safer than going off on your own."

"I- I destroyed the compass," Wilbur sniffles. "They can't track me now, right? Please say they can't."

Techno sighs, coming to sit next to Phil, crossing his legs. "They can't. Hunters rely on compasses for the most part. And since it's not workin' anymore, it'll be fine. Plus," he smiles, "they're all dead. Courtesy of me, of course."

"I _helped_ ," Phil glares at him, reaching out to swat his forehead. "Hey, Wilbur. You'll be okay, alright? You'll be fine. We've got a farm started, mostly potatoes. Techno built it himself." 

"I.." Wilbur sniffles, looking up at him as he leans back. "Really?"

"Yeah, really," Phil smiles. "You can leave anytime you want. You can eat anything or do anything here, so long as it doesn't hurt the rest of us. I'll show you around, okay?"

Wilbur nods, the frown fading from his face. "Okay."

* * *

"Mother _fucker_!" Wilbur shouts. Phil rushes outside to make sure his son is fine. He glares at Techno, who holds up his hands as a faulty defense. " _Father_ ," Wilbur breathes out, very obviously seething. "Can you tell your other son, the worst one, to _not_ stab me with the real sword?"

Phil snorts, covering up his mouth as soon as he does. He shouldn't. He should _not_ laugh at this, but it's kind of funny. Well. It's very funny. "Techno, try not to kill Will, okay? It's not that difficult to not murder your sibling." Techno snorts back at him, picking up the sword, twirling it around a bit. 

"It kinda is," Techno mutters, his ears pricking up. Phil was right, his tusks did get bigger as he got older. He'll have to add that to his book. "Bad news. I smell a nerd."

"Stop saying that," Wilbur scoffs, giving him a shove. "Your sense of smell is so scuffed. You barely can smell _garlic_ , and we have an entire fucking field of it, and-"

Phil holds up a hand. He can hear something, too. "Techno's right. Someone's out there," he sighs, quietly summoning a spell to enhance his hearing. He can hear someone swearing, really, really aggressively. "I swear to god, if it's more hunters.." Wilbur's face flashes with guilt, terror, and then back to guilt in matter of seconds. "Hey," Phil turns to him, planting his hands down on his son's shoulder. "It's okay. It's not your fault, Wilbur. You were just a kid."

"Kids know better," Wilbur mumbles, but he nods. "Sorry. I know it's..yeah."

"Yeah," Techno agrees, clapping him on the shoulder, slapping Phil's hand. "Plus, it just gives me some more practice. I gotta get good at killin' nerds."

" _Listen_ , you little-"

"Fuck!" Phil snaps his head in the direction of the voice, a lot louder than it had been. He takes off towards it, ignoring Techno and Wilbur shouting after him to _not_. He skids through his farm, pushing past stalks of corn and some sort of berry that doesn't actually exist. "I can't, fuck! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I can't..I'm so sorry, I don't know how to.." Phil stumbles to a halt, staring down at the body of a child. He looks away from the kid, looking at..oh. "I.." the boy huddled in front of the other boy's body looks back up at him, his eyes welling with tears. "I'm not a fucking cleric." The boy cries. 

"I'm not, either," Phil crouches down, placing his hands on the injured boy's chest. "But I am a mage," he closes his eyes, running as much healing magic through his body as he possibly can. He hears the boy gasp, feels his chest start to move again. Slowly, but it's still moving. Phil opens his eyes again, breathes out. "He's okay. He'll be alright. He's just..he'll probably be in a coma for a week or two."

The boy looks at him, eyes huge, unblinking. "I..why..why'd you.."

"Dad!" Wilbur screeches to a halt behind him, Techno slamming into him next. "What..oh, fuck, shit. Is he alright? Do you need me to-"

"He'll be okay," Phil smiles, sitting down properly. "Hi. I'm Phil. Meet Techno," he points to him, "and Wilbur," he points to him as well. "They're my sons. Funnily enough, I found them the exact same way I found you two." The boy stares at him.

"Um..I..I'm Tommy," he blinks, placing his hand over the other boy's chest. "He's Tubbo. We're best friends," Tommy explains. "I don't know why they went after him, he..he's so fuckin' nice, man, he's too..he's too nice. He's just some stupid, big sweetheart who's too goddamn nice for his own good," Tommy whispers, his hand tightening around Tubbo's shirt. "I..I don't have anywhere to go. They're tracking me."

"Hunters," Techno sighs, scuffing his hoof against the ground. "It's _always_ hunters. Well, Tommy. Lucky for you, you've got a man who knows how to kill nerds. Then you've got the one who sings sometimes, and then there's Phil," Phil turns back to look at his son, eyebrows raised. "What? You were gonna offer. I know you well enough by now, _father_. Welcome to somewhere you can stay until you wanna leave," Techno waves a hand. "Come on, Wilbur. Help me pick him up."

Phil beams as he watches his sons pick up Tubbo. He stands up, helping Tommy to his feet. "Welcome home, Tommy. I think you'll like it here."


	2. i felt some things become aligned

Phil sighs, leaning against the doorframe. Tommy hasn't moved away from Tubbo ever since he came here. It's been a year, and..Phil is worried. Phil is really, really worried. He knows that he's not the best at healing magic, but he thought that he did a good enough job. He really thought Tubbo would be awake by now. He sighs, turning away from Tommy and Tubbo. Tommy's a good kid - he's smart, quick-witted. He reminds Phil of Techno and Wilbur when they were younger. Tommy told him that he managed to lose the compass _and_ the hunters, but Phil isn't entirely sure he believes him. It's not like Tommy would lie to him, they've already established that. Tommy isn't going to be going anywhere for awhile. Maybe he won't ever leave. Maybe he'll stay, just like Wilbur and Techno did. Phil wouldn't mind, he really, really wouldn't. Tommy's already become his son, if he's being honest with himself. He sighs, walking down the stairs, letting his hand trail along the wall as he walks. "Techno," Phil calls out, watching as his oldest son's head pops out of his room. "We're going hunting." 

Techno's eyes flash for a second, a deadly grin twisting its way onto his face. "What kind of huntin'?"

"You know what kind," Phil drops his voice, looking away for a brief second. "We're destroying it today. The entire organization. They're killing kids at this point, Techno. I'm not letting it happen anymore. Wilbur was only seven when they tried to kill him. Tommy and Tubbo were barely even twelve. And," he shakes his head. "You were hunted, too. I know it." Techno gives him a half-hearted shrug, throwing his sword over his shoulder. 

"To be fair, I knew what I was doin'. I needed that food, so I murdered a hunter," he beams, tusks a little bigger than they had been this time last year. "Wilbur didn't know that he had an artifact planted on him. Some fuckin' piece of shit thief deserved to die for that, not him. Anyways," Techno stalks past him, grabbing his shield from the wall by the door. "Are we killin' just this branch of hunters? The ones in this world?" Phil nods.

"Yeah. And if we can push it," he breathes out, "the King." 

Techno laughs, clapping his hands together. "You're kiddin' me. The King? I've wanted to kill that nerd for so long now," he sighs, hoisting up his shield. "Alright. Let's go murder some nerds." Phil snorts, grabbing his axe. He stares at his elytras that he hung up on the walls so many years ago. He never..he never wanted to touch them again. Not after he used it to fly away from the Academy. Phil sighs, grabbing it off of the wall. The weight settles into his hands, feeling so familiar. He slips it on, tightening the straps around his chest. 

"Yeah. Let's."

* * *

Phil soars ahead, feeling the wind ruffle his hair, the breeze blowing past him. He can't help but twirl in the sky, laughing as he soars over Techno. He pauses, doubling back so he doesn't fly too far ahead. He hovers above the ground, the elytra flapping on his back. They really are like wings. "It's only a couple more miles. We'll get there in..a minute or two if I use a speed spell. But I haven't really practiced, so I don't know if it'll-"

"Use it," Techno shrugs. "I thirst for blood, I can only hold it back for so long, you know me," he grins, bouncing a little on his heels. Phil watches as he snaps his head towards the sight of a butterfly, eyes losing their bloodlust. "Ooh," Techno beams, holding out his hand. The creature lands on it, wings fluttering. "Wait. Fuck," he huffs, shaking his hand. The butterfly soars off, disappearing into the forest. "Is there a spell to stop that from happenin'? I'm gettin' tired of gettin' distracted all the time." Phil laughs, clapping his hands together, trying to remember which strings he has to pull to make the spell. 

"I don't think so," he admits. "I don't have any of my books after the Academy was both blown to shit and also burnt to the ground. But I'll figure it out eventually," Phil snaps the spell into reality, projecting it onto himself and Techno. He feels his entire body cool down, his wings whirring. "I think it worked. It's just straight ahead. I'll meet you there?"

"Bet." And then Techno's gone, sprinting into the forest as full speed. Phil blinks, gaping for a second. 

"Oh, you little shit," he grins, soaring forwards. He dives towards the forest, barely staying above the trees. He spots Techno's hair, his cape flowing in the wind below him. Phil gasps when he hears an arrow whiz past his face, turning to look at..oh. Okay. "Techno!" He shouts, diving down into the forest. "They spotted us, they know we're here!"

Techno scoffs, still running, sword in hand now. "Sounds like a them problem," he mutters. Phil sighs, soaring back upwards, gripping his axe in one hand, leaving his left hand open. Magic is surprisingly physical. He mutters a few words, summoning a ball of fire that hovers above his skin, the flames searing his hand. "Looks like they're all here,"Techno tells him, sword already clashing against a hunter's. "Shit!" Phil slams down to the ground, elytra sliding back into his chestplate. 

"Someone's gonna fucking die," Phil shouts, bracing a fist with his arm guard. He lights that hunter on fire, watching as she tumbles back, screaming. "You good?" He looks over at Techno, who shoves his sword through a man's stomach.

"Just thirstin' for blood, you know me," Techno waves his extra hand before he punches another guard in the face, impaling that man as well. Phil blocks the arrow flying towards him, sending a wave of flames and acid towards the small group in front of him. It's the entirety of this branch of hunters, he's pretty sure. Easily around a thousand people, if not more. He doesn't think they'll have much of an issue getting rid of them. Phil claps his hands together, sending out a burst of light that sears anything and anyone it touches, careful to make sure it doesn't go anywhere near his son. Techno is smart enough to not walk into it, but mistakes do happen. "Left!" Techno yells, and Phil barely has time to react, putting up his shield as soon as the axe slams into it. 

He kicks out the hunter's legs from under, slamming his axe down on the man's chest as soon as he moves his shield. Another hunter gone from the world. Good. No one like that deserves to live. Hunters used to be _good_ , they used to be _important_. They were sent to hunt down the most dangerous people alive, to keep the population safe from risk and harm. Then the New King rose up to power, reformed the hunter system entirely. Now, it's just a bunch of rich mercenaries and bounty hunters being paid to kill anyone they'd like. "How many left, would you say?" Phil asks, flying upwards, elytra shooting out of his chestplate. 

"Seven hundred, probably," Techno shrugs. "You've melted at least a hundred of 'em with that fire trick." Phil snorts, soaring above the hunter's main outpost. They must have called them all here. God, Phil thinks. It's going to be a fucking massacre. But if that's what has to happen, he'll do it. He clenches his fists, staring down at the hunters below him. He closes his eyes, focusing on the most powerful spell he knows. Phil opens his eyes, splaying out his hands, sending waves of fiery rain and acid down on the outpost, screams echoing in his ears. 

"This is for my children, you sons of bitches."

* * *

Phil isn't entirely sure how he managed to get here. He runs his fingers along the smooth wood around him, brushing past herbs and other foliage. It's quiet here. It's nice. He barely remembers making it, it had just been a little get away for him when he desperately needed a break. But now..it feels like home. It feels like a new beginning. He's already started to build his house, has already made farms for everything. He knows that Wilbur and Tommy have left to another world, one that he's been in before. The first world he traveled to, actually. Phil's fairly certain that he left some shit there, but he isn't sure _what_ he left. Maybe someone's found it by now. Techno left, too. He's off competing and fighting everyone he can. Phil isn't surprised about that.

He stares at the endless oceans ahead of him, flicking his wrist to make the waves go slower. Phil breathes out, feeling the wind breeze over him. He stomps his foot against the ground, soaring over the ocean, the smell of salt and sea filling his lungs. He can't help but grin, a weird feeling of calmness coming over him. He wants to _build_. He wants to fight something, he wants to _finish_ this place. He's never stayed in one of his worlds long enough to make something important, but this time..

This time, he will.

* * *

He soars above Endlantis, staring down at his creation. It took a year, but it's finally done. It's finally finished. He grins, circling over it a few hundred times, checking to make sure everything is in order. He stares at the trees nestled in the sand, watching them sway in the water, sending ripples up to the surface. He soars over it, dipping his hands in the water as he breezes past it, the water chilling him to the bone. He beams at the glowing creatures there, watching as the dolphins and fish swim around. He flies back to one of the portals, sitting on top of it as he stares off into Endlantis. Phil lets his elytra pop back into his chestplate, swaying a little as he listens to some distant music. He isn't entirely sure where the music came from, but it's been there for a while now. He's not going to complain - it's nice. Gives the place some extra character. 

Phil watches the beacons alight, colours dancing and changing, reflecting in the water. This really does feel like home, he thinks. He closes his eyes, smiling as he leans back on the top of the portal, letting his hands dangle into the cool water. Phil sighs, humming along with the music that's followed him for the past year or so. How long has it been? He's not really sure. He knows that he's been alive much, much longer than he should've been. It's probably been thousands of years since the Academy got destroyed now. Phil doesn't know why he didn't die, why he still hasn't died, but he's okay with that. He managed to..oh, right. Maybe he should go back to visit home more often. But his kids are already gone - he knows that Tommy and Wilbur have been leading a rebellion, a revolution. 

Techno's been off farming, he knows that much. He doesn't know why or where or _how_ , but that's what he's been doing. Phil's visited all of them a few times over the past year. He isn't just going to abandon his kids, he wouldn't do that. Phil also doesn't really have the heart to tell them why he's stayed so far away, why he's stayed in his worlds and universes. He's _dying_. Ever since he left the Academy, he's felt himself withering away. But in his worlds..he doesn't. In his worlds, he's fine. He isn't exhausted all the time. he doesn't cough up blood. He's fine. Phil wishes he could be fine anywhere else, but he knows that he can't be. His worlds accommodated themselves for him - they changed how they functioned, they changed their inner codes. Phil doesn't know how, but he knows that it's happened. 

Phil sighs, cracking open an eye to stare at Endlantis, smiling as he watches the waves. Maybe things will get better.


	3. we lost the sea

"You know that this isn't right, Phil."

"They're my _kids_ , Illumina," he shakes his head, staring up at the Archmage of the Academy. Phil watched him die. He watched Illumina burn alive, he watched him _die_. "I'm not giving them up. I'm not changing anything I did." Phil tells him, annoyance pitching his voice up a little more than he'd like. They're his _kids._

Illumina sighs, shaking his head. "Even if it means that the world ends?"

"It's _my_ world," Phil glares at him. "It's my world. It's mine. No one comes here but me, no one can come here unless I let them. It doesn't matter if it dies or not." Illumina frowns, his eyes narrowing. 

"You do remember that this world is attached to your life, right?" 

Phil snorts, tossing his head back. "Do you think that matters to me?" Illumina says nothing. Phil doesn't say anything, either, choosing to stare out into Endlantis. The entire place is finally done, lit up and patched together with magic. He smiles as he watches the water ripple, the waves lapping at his legs. "They're my kids. I can't let them die," he murmurs, heaving a sigh. "I'd rather be tortured for the rest of my life than let them not have one."

"You're a noble man, Phil."

"I'm just a father, Illumina," he leans down, letting the water travel up his arm, solidifying before it rolls back down. He isn't sure how he managed to make the world sentient to him, but he did. The world doesn't want him to die. His world wants him to stay here and live, to thrive. Phil doesn't know how the world gained human sentience, but..it's not the worst thing. "You know that I'm not allowed to leave this world unless you let me. You binded me here. I can't even access my teleportation spell. If you're going to kill me, it would have been nice of you to let me say goodbye to my sons. You're not a cruel person, Illumina."

"I am what I have to be," Illumina tells him. He sounds ancient, his voice stretching on for eons. Phil doesn't know how long he's been alive, but he's well aware that time is much, much slower in his world than it is in Wilbur's. A day for Wilbur could be a decade for him. "Techno should have died fifteen years ago. Wilbur should have died the day you found him. Tubbo should be dead. Tommy should be the only one who lived naturally. Without your interference." 

Phil scoffs. "It's not my fault I got teleported to that world, Illumina. You know that. I didn't have a choice in where I went."

"You had a choice in helping Techno."

"Why the fuck wouldn't I?" Phil whirls around to face him, shoving himself to his feet. "He was a _child_ , Illumina. He wasn't even ten years old, and you expected me to let him _die_? You expected me to let an eight year old boy who ran to me, crying and screaming, die? Wilbur was being _chased_. He wasn't even nine, and he was being hunted down. Tommy _begged_ me to save Tubbo's life. I'm not giving that up. Tubbo is not going to die. Techno and Wilbur are not going to die." Phil wishes he could shove Illumina into the water. He wishes he could watch the man die again. 

He remembers being taught under the careful guidance of the Archmage. He was strong, powerful. Practically a god among men, thriving through magic, passing down his wisdom throughout his students. Illumina was one of the most caring people Phil had ever met, and he was lucky enough to score himself an apprenticeship under him. What the hell happened to him? "So many worlds are going to end since they're alive."

"So be it," Phil stares ahead. "Illumina, worlds always end. They always cease to exist eventually. This world will die," he watches as the water swirls around him, humming furiously. His world has music. Mostly from the plants, but sometimes other things sing, too. "My last worlds have died. It's just natural. It's the way this universe works. Bringing new worlds into play, getting rid of them like they're old toys," he shakes his head. "I don't care, Illumina. Call me selfish, but those people? On those worlds? They're not my problem. They aren't important to me. My sons are, though. I'm not letting you take me back in time to watch them die."

Illumina sighs, sitting back down. "This place is beautiful."

"It made itself," Phil waves a hand. He played a part it in, but really, the world had wanted this. It had helped him at every turn, warning him when he was close to dangerous situations, singing songs of praise whenever he did something important. Its sentience has never made sense to him. "It's been my home for a long time now."

"Yeah," he agrees. "I'm not going to make you watch your children die, Phil."

"I wouldn't have let you, anyways," he smiles, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I'm stronger than you are, Illumina. You know that, don't you? The more time I spend with this world, the more time I spend in Endlantis.." Phil trails off, watching the light dance in the sky. "The more powerful I get. My magic just keeps increasing, Illumina. I'm not the same person you knew all those years ago."

"I'd have to agree," Illumina tells him, standing back up next to him. He squeezes his shoulder, heaving a sigh. "I wish I was better at deciding people's lives for them," he sighs again. "Listen, Phil. You can't..you can't leave your worlds for very long. Especially not this world. It'll destroy itself from the inside out without you here to centre it. Be safe. You know how to find me."

And then the hand on his shoulder is gone, the smell of sea salt filling the air around him.

* * *

"You're a bastard, you know that?" Phil laughs, crouched on top of a netherrack pillar, staring down at the Piglin under him. It's got a crossbow pointed at him, but it isn't like that's going to do much. "Come on. Just 'cause I'm not willing to make peace with you, you're really gonna try to kill me?" He grins, leaning back against pillar behind him. "You kind of look like Techno."

Phil raises an eyebrow down at the Piglin, opening his mouth for a second. Wait. _Wait_. "You.." he feels his elytra flip out of his back, leaping down directly in front of the creature. "You're not fully Piglin," Phil crosses his arms. "You're a hybrid," he summons his book from his Ender Chest, opening his hand out to catch it. He flips through the pages, scowling down at his shit handwriting. "You're on the rarer side of things, it seems," Phil glances up at Piglin, frowning. "Techno's much more human than you are. We didn't even know you guys existed until..huh," he murmurs. "I don't know if everyone else knows you exist yet, or if that's just my world propelling me more than everyone else."

The Piglin snorts at him, narrowing its eyes. "Oh, don't look at me like that," Phil snorts back. "You probably have siblings somewhere, huh?" He glances past the Piglin, watching the other Piglins shift uncomfortably, staring him down. "Yeah. I've got three little boys," Phil sighs, fond memories pouring back into his head. "Techno's probably half-Piglin like you. I'm not sure, though. He's either half-Piglin or half-boar, one of the two. Wilbur's human, and Tommy's human. I think Tubbo's got the ability to learn magic, but I'm not sure yet. I miss them," Phil sighs. "It's my own fault for not visiting as much, but I..I can't leave this place for too long. If I do, I'll die. Or the world'll die, which ends up with the same situation of me dying, but whatever."

Phil lets the book soar away from him, hearing it whirl out of time and space. "Alright. I'll come back later, okay? Try not to shoot me next time."

* * *

Phil stares at their old family house, frowning at the vines and ivy intertwining into the wood. It's rotting and hollow, the smell of rainwater lingering a little too much. Phil raises a hand, trying to figure out how much time has passed in this world. He's fairly certain his world is the only world that's ten times faster than everyone else's. He breathes out, silently resetting the time and damage done to his home, watching as the wood goes back to its pristine look, the ivy wilting and dying in front of his eyes. He stops after a few seconds, figuring that's enough rewinding he has to do. Phil summons a metaphorical anchor, setting it deep underneath the house, pouring a little bit of his soul into it, locking it in place, creating three bindings over it to keep it secure. 

"There," Phil dusts off his hands, drowsiness falling over him. He yawns, covering his mouth for a second. He reaches into his backpack, pulling out a small glass of water. "You think that'll be enough to keep me alive here?" The water swirls in the glass, humming happily. "Alright. You know, the future is really, really about to fucking suck," the water's humming quiets down. "Yeah. I know. But..it's for my kids, right? I'm not going to let any of them get hurt, not when I've got the time to fix it. Kinda happy I didn't kill Illumina right then and there."

The water sings, its voice lulling and soft. Phil wishes he knew how to translate it directly. The songs and music _mean_ something, but he can't entirely figure out _what_. "We've got, what, another ten days?" He holds out his hand, watching as the floor slowly collapses inwards, creating another set of stairs to another basement. "It's gonna be worth it. He's not gonna like it, but it's gonna have to happen. Ten fuckin' days, man," Phil sighs, walking down his newly created stairs. "Can't believe I've got to figure all of this shit out in ten days." 

Phil sighs again, turning to hollow out a big enough room. "Well. Anything for the kids, right?" He smiles, nodding to himself. "Anything for those bastards." 


End file.
